Rotary engine



E. A-. MILLER. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1919- Patented June 15, 1920;

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m A y m E ATTORNEY E. A. MILLER. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION F ILED JAN. 13, 1919.

1,343,331, Patehted June 15, 1920.

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[mil/ Hil ier 'VEN TOR Maw 01%3/ A TTORNE Y UNITED STATS EMIL MILLER, OF

"OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 01 mm ro CHARLES L. KOERNER, OFOAKLANID, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, E IL A, lVIILLiEE Clllizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRotary Engines of which the following is ;a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines of the type in which the cylinder rotates about a fixed axis and the end of the piston rods act against inclinedsurfaces.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved engine of the above mentioned type which is simple in construction, and reliable in operation and in which each cylinder performs morethan a single cycle for each revolution of the engine shaft.

Another object is to provide improved.

means for operating the engine valves and in connection therewith toprovide means by which the engine may be easily reversed.

With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter more specifically described and pointed out in the appended claims, v

Referring to th drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a view 1n front elevation of my improved engine.

Fig. 2 is a view vertical section through the same. j 1

Fig. 8 is a yiew. in section on the line 3-3 Fig. 2. a

Referring to corresponding parts in the several views by the same numerals of reference; 1 denotes a base plate from-which extends a pillar 2' the upper end' 3 of which-is cylindrical and provides a journal 4 for the rotating shaft of the engine.

Formed. onthisxpillar or attached thereto is a concave frame 5, the outeri edge of which has an inwardly extendingfiange 6 towhich is bolted the curb plate 7. The latter lies in aplane at right angles to .the axis of rotation of the engine. Plate '1 has an openmg through'which the: frame 5 extends and at thelo'wer. part ofthe'la'tter is a segmental wall 8. ,A plate forminga corresponding wall 9 is attached to the front edge of the frame .5, these two walls forming a cavity. 10

i into which dip the outer ends of the piston rods. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 111 19 115, 192i). Application filed January 13, 1919.- Serial No. 270,964. I I

Bevolubly. mounted in journal t is the main bearing shaft 12 which on the-end ,within frame 5 is provided with a radially extending flange 13. '-The cylinders are de- On that part of head 3. which extends through frame 5 there is formed a cavity 18 having an annular openlng 19 around the entire front end of the head This opening,

is arranged so that the passageways 20 communicate therewith andthe front endv of the hub and rear face of flange 13 are finished to make a reasonably close joint.

To cavity 18 is attached pipe 21 by which 1 the exhaust gases are conveyed away from the immediate vicinity of the engine.

The intake and exhaust are controlled by valves 21 and 22 respectively and these valves are operated by the rock-arm 23 and 24 which are pivotally mounted in ears 25. One end of each of these levers contacts with. the stem of the respective valve while the opposite'ends have rollers 27 for contact with operating cams.

the frame 5 is a stand '30 having'an opening Attached to base 1 on the opposite i therethrough the axis of which is in alinement with the axis of shaft 12. Held in this opening is the hub 31 of a plate 32. This hub does not rotate but on thecontrary is held against rotation as by the lock nut 33.

- On the outer circumference of the plate 32 is a toothed gear 34 andinside of the latter is a toothed gear One of these gears is made oscillatlve with respect to the other, 7

as here shown gear 35 is revoluble on the vedgeshaped ring 36. By tightening this ring toward the platei32 the gear will be held rigid while if the ring is slackened off the gear may be turned: g

Revolubly mounted in hub 81 is a tubular shaft 40 theinner end of which is provided with arms 41'. Passageways 42 extend through these arms and terminate-in openings 13 which alinewith the intake ports 16. Suitable means are provided for 'a-ttaching the ends of the arms to'the side of the cylinder and each'arm is provided with lugs 4A for the reception of the pins 45 and 46. Revolubly mounted on pin46 is a rigidly connectedcam 47 and gear 48' the latter meshing with gear 35. i

In like manner a rigidly connected cam 49 and gear 50are revoluble on the pin 45 and this gear meshes with gear 34 Cams 47 and 49 through the contacting rollers 27 4 move the rock-arms 23 and 24.

Y The cylinders 14 are arranged in diametrically disposed pairs and the pistons 51 of each pair are connected by a rod 52 wh ch extends through stuffing-box 53 in the cylin- 'der heads. To enable the rodsof different pairs to cross each other I set the various pairs at dlfferent dlstances from the flange 13 and correspondingly change the length of the rock-arms, while the ends of those rods which are nearest the flange have an offset bend to bring their ends into alinement wlth plate 7. Rods 52 extend through the pistons V and have their outer ends forked to receive rollers 54. The latter contact with the inner surface of the ring which is provided with a series of inclined abutments 55.

Extending outwardly from thecylinders 14 are guide-arms 56 which contact with the side faces of the ring 7. These arms are provided with slots or grooves 57 and the pins 58 on which rollers 54 are mounted extend into these slots.

The ratio of the fixed to therotatable gears 48 and 50 is such that the valves are attached cams.

operated in proper relation to the inclines 55, thus if the engine was operating as a four cycle gas engine and live abutments were used, this ratio would be 2:} to 1.

respect to the plate 7. The side pressure which is exerted on the roller is taken care of by the pin 58 working in the guide slot 57. The rotation of the cylinders carries with it the gears 48 and 50, together with their These cams move the rockarms 23 and 24 and thus at the proper time open the intake and exhaust valves.

. If the engine is to operate in a reverse direction then gear 35 is turned so that the cams which operate the intake valves will bear an-opposite time relation to the cams operating the exhaust valves and so the cylinder will operate in like manner.

The exhaust passes out through port 17, the holes 20 and discharges through the annular opening 19 into chamber 18.

Thus I have provided an engine operable by various gaseous media which is comparatively simple in const'ruction anddesign and while I have shown the preferred embodi-- ment of myinvention, it will be understood that changes may be made w ithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spiritof the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as new and wish to cover by Letters Patent 1. An engine oi'jthe character described comprising a revoluble shaft, a plurality of cylinders attached to said shaft in diamet- I rically disposed pairs, pistons insaid cylinders, rods having said pistons connected thereon, a ring having a plurality of inclined abutmentslying in the plane of rotationof said cylinders, and rollers carried by the ends of said rod for contact with said abutments.

2. An engine of the character described comprising'a plurality of palrs of diametrically disposed cylinders, pistonsreciprm cable in said cylinders, rods extending V througlrthe pistons of oppositely disposed cylinders and'attached-thereto, a curb plate disposed in the plane of said cylinders, and

abutments carried by said plate against to contact. 7 r

3. An engine of the character described comprising a plurality of pairsof diametrr cally disposed cylinders, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, rods extending through the pistons of oppositely disposed cylinders and attached thereto, a curb plate disposed in the plane oflsaid cylinders and abutments carried by said plate for contact with the ends of, said rod, said cylinders having intake and exhaust ports, valves controlling said ports, and means for opcrating said valves.

4. An engine'of the characterdescribed comprising a plurality of pairs of diametri cally disposed cylinders,pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, rodsextending through the pistons of oppositelydisposed cylinders and attached thereto, a curb'platedisposed in the plane of said cylinders, abutments carried by said'plate "for contact with the ends of saidrod', said cylinders having intake and exhaust ports, valves controlling said ports,

cam means for operating said valves and gear means for operating sa d cams;

5. An-engine of the character "described comprising a plurality ofpairs of diametrically disposed cylinders, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, rods extending through the pistons of oppositely disposed cylinders and attached thereto, a curb plate disposed'in the plane of said cylinders, inclined abutments carried by said plate for contact-with the ends of said rod, said cylindershaving intake and exhaust ports, valvescontrolling said ports, cam means for operating said valves, gearsrevoluble with said cams, the

which. outer. ends of said. rods are adapted axes of said cams and gears being in fixed relation to said cylinders and co-meshing gears for driving said cam operating gears.

6. An engine of the character described comprising a plurality of pairs of diametrically disposed cylinders, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, rods extending through the pistons of oppositely disposed cylinders and attached thereto, a curb plate disposed in the plane of said cylinders, inclined abutments carried by said plate for contact with the ends of said rod, said cylinders having intake and exhaust ports, valves controlling said ports, pivotally mounted rock-arms for operating said valves, cams for moving said rock-arms, toothed gears revoluble with said cams, said cams and gears being revoluble with said cylinders, and non-rotating co-meshing toothed gears for driving said cam operating gears.

7. An engine of the character described comprising a plurality of pairs of diametrically disposed revolubly mounted cylinders, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, rods extending through the pistons of oppositely disposed cylinders and attached thereto, a non-revoluble curb plate disposed in the plane of said cylinders, abutments carried by said plate against which the outer ends of said rods are adapted to contact, guides carried by said cylinders adapted to embrace said curb plate, said cylinders having intake and exhaust ports, valves controlling the intake and exhaust ports of said engine, pivotally mounted rock-arms for operating said valves, cams for moving said rock-arms, toothed gears revoluble with said cams, said cams and gears being carried by the outer ends thereof, a stationary curb plate lying in the plane of rotation ofsaid cylinders,'a plurality of inclined abutments carried by said plate, and guides carried by said cylinder adapted to embrace said plate.

9. An engine of the character described comprising a revolubly mounted shaft a plurality of diametrically disposed pairs of cylinders having their longitudinal center lines in radial relation and planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft and revoluble therewith, said cylinder hav ing exhaust and intake ports, valves controlling said ports, rock-arms for operating said cylinders for operating said rock-arms, toothed gears revoluble with said cams, nonrevolubly mounted gears for cooperation with said cam gears and means to permit a limited oscillative movement of one of said non-revoluble gears for the purpose of varying the time relation between the exhaust cams and the intake cams.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EMIL A. MILLER. 

